Cad & the Dandy: The Final Cut

Welcome to the second of two posts on my long awaited new bespoke suit by London tailors The Cad & the Dandy. As I mentioned in the first post, when I discussed the stylistic and aesthetic thought process behind the suit's design, this is a 1930s inspired cocktail suit for formal parties and dressy special occasions. Having covered that side of the story already however, I'd like to move on at this stage to tell you a little bit about the construction of the suit and its benefits.

First of all, this suit is the first suit that I've had made using the Cad & the Dandy's 'Fully Hand-stitched' i.e. fully bespoke service. This suit is made in true British bespoke tradition - its been cut from a paper pattern in the company's Savile Row cutting room before being made using all the hand-stitched techniques expected of a Savile Row suit, and the bare minimum of machine manufacture. The chest and lapel are padded and canvassed by hand and the sleeves are hand-pitched and set as well. All the finishing on the suit (top-stitching and buttonholes) is sewn in by hand too, as is the lining. Let me be clear, for a young customer who has always been passionate about tailoring, but who has never had a fully bespoke suit before, the visual and physical benefits to using the fully bespoke service are extraordinary. 

With these photos you can get a sense of the level of artistry, personalisation and detailing that goes into a bespoke suit. You simply can't get inverted trouser pleats, high waists, turn-back cuffs or double-breasted waistcoats anywhere off-the-peg.

My first bespoke suit (which you can read about here) by The Cad & the Dandy used their 'half-hand stitched' or half-bespoke service, it was still cut from a paper pattern, but involved less hand-work and more machine made elements. Similarly, I had no intermediate fittings between placing the order and seeing the suit fully made-up. I have always been thrilled with that suit, and I still am, but the comfort that having a hand-padded and stitched chest canvass is second to none. This suit drapes better, feels softer and more comfortable, is more flexible and yet more form fitting and naturally flattering than anything I have owned or worn before. 

You can see the level of hand-finishing that takes place - all the topstitching along seams of the suit, the edges of the pocket jets and lapels are sewn by hand.

There are a multitude of reasons why true bespoke tailoring achieves this affect, and I will be exploring the detailed construction of a bespoke suit in a future article. However, by way of quick explanation, bespoke suits are the only kind of suit you can buy, where the chest canvass is not fused (i.e. brutally stitched or glued) into the chest of the suit because machines are not capable of emulating what a tailor is trained to do by hand. A machine cannot sew shape into a chest canvass on two planes, meaning that it always hangs flat and cannot hold a curved shape or sit flawlessly around the chest when un-fastened. The canvass of a bespoke suit is hand-sewn and shaped on at least two planes in order to be able to sit perfectly and curve around the natural shape of the chest at all times. The canvass in the jacket is called a 'floating' canvass because it literally does float inside the chest of the jacket - its only tacked in at the edges for a flawless finish. The canvass is made from layers of cotton and linen canvass, horsehair and wadding - it is super-soft whilst still holding shape and giving the garment structure. Similarly, its made from entirely natural materials, unlike synthetic glues or fusings, which allows the garment to breath and keep the wearer cool. The other major consideration for me, is the fact that the sleeves are 'pitched' (angled to sit perfectly around the arm in its natural position of rest) and 'set' (sewn onto the jacket) by hand - and are designed to perfectly accommodate the exact angle, size and lean of your armhole and shoulders inside the jacket - mass production suits cannot achieve this, and when (like me) your shoulders naturally pitch around 1.5 inches further back than the average man, this can seriously disrupt the comfort and fit of an off-the-peg suit.

All the button-holes on the suit are made by hand, and note also the attention that's gone into creating the cuff. The turn-back panel has been cut so that the pattern of the cloth lines up perfectly with that on the sleeve, and the edge of the cuff opening has been top-stitched by hand.

Having this made has simply reinforced my already firm conviction that every man should try and invest in a bespoke suit or two. Even if it only gets worn five times a year for special occasions, the comfort, self-confidence and satisfaction that wearing a bespoke suit produces every time its put-on will ensure that it pays for itself. The only real way to comprehend just what a marvelous thing bespoke tailoring is, is to try on a bespoke jacket for the first time for yourself - it doesn't feel anything like any off-the-peg tailoring you'll own. You might think that you're comfortable in your designer off-the-peg suiting, and you might be, but believe me when I say that as soon as you slip on a bespoke jacket round your shoulders, you'll never look or feel as comfortable in tailoring again. There is nothing quite like pure bespoke, not for style, comfort, durability, or individuality. My thanks to The Cad & the Dandy for a second very special suit!